Claudio Magris (; born 10 April 1939) is an Italian scholar, translator and writer. He was a senator for Friuli-Venezia Giulia from 1994 to 1996.

Life

Magris graduated from the University of Turin, where he studied German studies, and has been a professor of modern German literature at the University of Trieste since 1978.

His breakthrough was Danubio (published as Danube in English) (1986), which is a magnum opus. In this book (said by the author to be a "drowned novel"), Magris tracks the course of the Danube from its sources to the sea, tracing the influences of Christendom and Islam on the formation of central Europe. Microcosmi (Microcosms in English) focuses on the Italian-Istrian borderlands.

Decorations and awards

  • 1980: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
  • 1987: Bagutta Prize for Danubio
  • 1990: French Award for Best Foreign Book (essays) for Danubio
  • 1992: Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
  • 2000: Würth Prize for European Literature
  • 2001: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
  • 2001: Erasmus Prize
  • 2001: Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding (Grand Prize)
  • 2001: Member of the Academy of Arts Berlin
  • 2004: Prince of Asturias Award for Literature
  • 2009: Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels
  • 2015: Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • 2016: Franz Kafka Prize
  • 2019: Thomas Mann Prize

Honorary doctorates

  • 1991: University of Strasbourg
  • 2011: University of Barcelona
  • 2014: University of Murcia
  • 2014: West University of Timisoara
  • 2017: Free University of Berlin
  • 2018: University of Regensburg

Memberships

  • 2001: Academy of the Arts, Berlin, Section Literatur
  • Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Darmstadt
  • Danubio (1986; translated as Danube: A Sentimental Journey from the Source to the Black Sea, )
  • Stadelmann (1988)
  • Un altro mare (1991; translated as A Different Sea, )
  • Microcosmi (1997; translated as Microcosms, ).
  • Alla cieca (2006; translated as Blindly, )
  • Non luogo a procedere (2015; translated as Blameless, )
  • Tiempo curvo a Krems (2019)

See also

  • Simon Winder

References

Further reading

  • Pireddu, Nicoletta. (2015) The Works of Claudio Magris: Temporary Homes, Mobile Identities, European Borders. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • ---. (2012) "On the Threshold, Always Homeward Bound: Claudio Magris's European Journey." The Journal of European Studies 42 (4): 333–341.
  • ---. (2022) Guest Editor, Claudio Magris and the Quest for Europe. Special Issue, The European Legacy 27 (7-8), 2022.
  • Wampole, Christy. (2014) "'Cyberia, Syberia...': Clones, Virtual Spaces, and Cyber-Selves in Claudio Magris' Alla cieca." MLN 129(1): 162–179.
  • Claudio Magris, écrivain de frontière contre l'indifférence (on Swans Commentary)
  • Nicoletta Pireddu, The Works of Claudio Magris. Temporary Homes, Mobile Identities, European Borders (Palgrave, 2015)